Jacob Schmidt

The word: Previously an assistant to colorist Victoria Hunter, Schmidt has also worked alongside the queen of pastel-pink and aqua highlights, Aura Friedman. Now he's taking his own clients at this downtown spot.

The experience: Schmidt was friendly enough, but his listening skills needed work. We requested warm golden highlights (think Gisele) and instead walked out with platinum hair (think Gwen Stefani). With no one available to blow-dry our hair, we didn't even realize the full extent of the error until we got home, and then we immediately booked a color correction at a different salon.

Sharon Dorram

Sophie Georgiou

Color, $225 and up17 E. 71st St.212-535-3519

The place: Crystal chandeliers, Juliet balconies, and velvet-covered settees are as uptown chic as a salon gets. Prepare to feel out of place without a Birkin on your arm.The word: Georgiou moved from Paris to New York City, where clients such as Nicole Kidman and Amy Adams flock to her for the most believable balayage this side of the Seine.What we got: She energized our blah blonde with a cooler hue, then added vibrant flashes of amber and cognac threads around our crown.Bottom line: The glossy brown shade and slender wisps added so much depth, our hair looked almost twice as full. (Our bill: $450.)

Alexandra Briones

Highlights, $165 and up204 Waverly Pl.212-242-3880

As the only one in our circle of friends to have never colored our hair, we were starting to feel like The 27-Year-Old Virgin. Briones set us at ease by gently suggesting a warm, caramel color to lighten our monochromatic brown hair and complement the pink undertones in our skin. It was all going well—until she removed the foils and dried our hair, and we panicked at the sight of streaks that looked downright white. Briones rubbed a toner on our head and did another rinse. This time, it was the color we'd hoped for.

Jason Backe

Highlights, $500 and up184 Fifth Ave., 2nd fl.212-633-6333

Backe is no shrinking violet. So when we asked him for a subtle change, he examined our dishwater blonde hair, then encouraged us to go for something more dramatic—a full head of highlights that would put our color somewhere between Gwen Stefani and Gwyneth Paltrow. He started by weaving two shades of the palest yellow all over our head. After rinsing, he added delicate ribbons of platinum around our crown and face. The result: Our skin looked brighter and our blue eyes stood out.